We now have in our pockets – in the shape of mobile phones – stuff that is capable of producing quality radio and, at a pinch, TV – the quality that viewers will accept has gone down. When I was in Morocco, the cameraman got detained for having a small video camera, whereas I was filming on my iPhone without anyone noticing.

How is data changing journalism?

Data has become the battleground of 21st century journalism. The three big causes célèbres of journalism are Wikileaks, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Making access to the information and the right to publish is now an act of radicalism.

Do you boycott any of the tax minimising tech brands?

No, I don't do any boycotting. All my life I've tended to use the default option. When Apple became really crap I switched to PC, because everybody did. I switched to Kindle to research my stories and books and now I buy e-books – for me, they are just an extension of Wikipedia.

Do you keep your phone on the table at dinner?

I don't when at dinner with my family, but I do in all other circumstances, such as working lunches and meetings.

What's your favourite app?

Snapseed – a photo-enhancing app. It makes everything look like it's been shot on an SLR. I also love WhatsApp – I use it for a small circle of journalistic contacts. It's popular among the journalists I know.

Does technology isolate or connect?

It's a no brainer – it's massively connecting people. Certainly social media is allowing us to live a more social life at the same time as having an expanded footprint. People who use social media are more interesting – they have more things to talk about.

Sat nav or map book?

I recently navigated my way across Morocco with a driver who didn't know where he was going and we relied on Google maps – it was accurate enough.

Do you talk on the phone at a check out?

Always, it's obligatory! Either that or I listen to music.

How many times a week do you Google yourself?

I share a name with the fattest man in the world, so I wouldn't advise anybody to Google me unless they add the words BBC or Channel 4.

Would you publish your genome?

I wish I knew it. It's part Lithuanian Jewish, part Lancashire coal miner. I'd love to know what the code for that looks like.

Time travel – when to?

I'd go either to a future communist utopia or to the Paris Commune of 1871. As long as there was an escape button.

What's the first thing you'd make on a 3D printer?

The film studio that makes The Hobbit made a 3D printer 10 times as big with a 3D printer. I'd make another 3D printer 100 times as big and print buildings with it, houses that could replace slums.